One Night at Freddy's 2
by Elemental-756
Summary: They've found him.
1. Prologue

"_**Sir**_." Suddenly said the dark voice of the jet black bear as it materialised into prize corner. It sounded like it was out of breath.

"Whatever it is I don't have time for it. We must be ready for opening day tomorrow." Replied the Marionette, not looking away from the mirror in his room. He was in the process of repainting his face the usual white, purple and red.

"_**We found him**_." Quickly ushered Shadow Freddy before the Marionette dismissed him.

"WHAT?!" The Marionette shouted, looking away from the mirror and down at his companion, his face only half finished, but the white dots in his eyes sprouted out the black folds of his sockets.

"QUIET!" Shouted several other voices from the pizzeria.

"Where?" The Marionette quietly asked, leaning in closer to Shadow Freddy, bending his stick like back.

"_**There is a shack near the woods where he stays. He sleeps on the third floor**_." Shadow Freddy answered.

"Does Goldie know?" The Marionette then asked.

"_**Yes, I couldn't stop him from entering his mind. But you know him: he won't kill him until the time is right. He'll just give him nightmares for awhile." **_Shadow Freddy answered.

"Then we must move fast." Said the Marionette commandingly. "Tell Shadow Bonnie, but no one else."

"_**Understood.**_" Shadow Freddy acknowledged. Then it deteriorated away in black flakes to God knows where.

The Marionette turned back to the mirror and resumed applying his makeup much faster. It wasn't long until opening hours and there was going to be a lot of kids running in here.

"I'm coming for you, Dipper." He said to himself. It may have been just an illusion, but it looked like his grin grew wider.


	2. Maybe you're dreaming?

Opening day: The day swarms of children blew open the doors to the pizzeria, sat down in the party rooms, ate pizza until their stomachs could take no more, played games, won prizes, had fun with the animatronics, explored; went to places they shouldn't; found things they shouldn't...but overall it was a good day. All the children had fun, even the parents or other unfortunate guardians that were dragged along seemed to enjoy themselves. There were smiles on all their faces as they went about the place and frowns when they left. Of course, there were still the occasional grumpy and whiny children, but they were dealt with on kind terms.

"It sounded like fun." Commented Dipper on his sister's rant about the day she'd had at the pizzeria with Candy and Grenda. The four of them sitting in a booth along one of the walls of the Gravity Falls cafe with their milkshakes, the Saturday 6:00pm sun setting sky beaming through the window, casting an orange tinge that spread throughout. The cafe was much bigger, better and more hygienic than Lazy Susan's diner, but didn't serve as much of a variety food and meals like she did.

"Oh, you have no idea, Dipper!" Said Mabel excitedly. Despite being told by Dipper that she was too old for kiddy places like a pizzeria, especially one with animatronics, she had had the most fun she'd ever had in a very long time, as had her two best friends. Dipper hadn't come because he was busy doing his homework due on Monday, but he didn't feel like he'd missed anything. He could go on his own, in his spare time, if he was feeling desperate.

"Yeah, Dipper, it was just so great! We even won...stuff!" Added Candy in just as much excitement.

"Stuff?" Dipper asked. He'd never heard her use an unintelligent word like that before. It was unusual to hear, but he didn't question it.

Candy gently put her large bag of goodies on the table, with a light thump, and produced one of the small plushies she'd won for 50 tickets and showed it to him. A fluffy golden bear. She placed it firmly on the table, sitting comfortably on the wood, like it owned the place, dominantly.

"Awww, he's cute." Dipper said, reaching over and picking the thing up with both hands, like it was a baby, getting a good feel and vibe of him.

"You can keep him if you want. I don't need him." Candy said, smiling. She'd won so many of the damn things, being a human computer, that one golden bear meant nothing to her. And she really liked Dipper so...yeah...there was that as well.

"You serious?" He asked, surprised, his eyes never breaking the plastic ones of his gift, like it was staring at him and he stared back...creepy.

"Yeah." Answered Candy.

"Thank you." He said, smiling to her. She held back her blushing and just smiled back. Dipper eventually hugged the plushie, closing his eyes, to see what it felt like.

"Uh oh. My brother's inner five year old is coming out." Smirked Mabel. All but Dipper laughed, catching the attention of others in the room who quickly passed it off as children being children. "Seriously though, it was amazing. The way you won those things is just...wow." She then added when she was done laughing at her brother's childlike actions.

"How'd you win them?" Asked Dipper, putting the plushie down by his side, out of sight from everyone. His curiosity was now growing about what he hadn't witnessed or experienced, or both.

"Well." Answered Grenda for her, leaning in as if what she was about to tell him was a secret and must be told privately. Dipper looked towards her with a confused look at her bizarre movement. "There's an arcade where you win tickets by playing games. Then, when you have enough you go into 'prize corner', and this...puppet thing comes out of this box and just gives you one. That's it. He doesn't say anything. He's just like 'here you go, and, poof, now I'm gone'." She then explained, as if it was a scary campfire story. She slowly leant back up, grinning.

"What if it gives you the wrong one?" Dipper asked. Something that sounds like that couldn't be flawless.

"Dipper; you never get the wrong one." Grenda answered, slowly. "It always knows what you want." She then whispered. Mabel and Candy were holding back laughter at the sight of Dipper's weirded out face. His mouth dropping and his wide eyes looked so silly to them, but adorable at the same time.

"How's that work?" Dipper then asked, suddenly fascinated. "What if it breaks?" Grenda shook her head. "What if there's no plushies?" Grenda shook her head again. "Well...Eugh, that's weird." He breathed out.

"Oooooh, maybe it's haunted." Said Mabel, devilishly grinning. She was tapping gently on Dipper's interest in the paranormal. She thought she could use it for amusement and, believe me, she used it for amusement.

"No." Said Dipper, looking to her.

"Yeah." Agreed Candy. Dipper looked to her. "Maybe the animatronics come alive at night, the spirits of those that died there after the gruesome murders, forever cursed to possess those plastic suits."

"Maybe the killer is still in there, waiting for a poor soul to investigate the place after hours." Said Grenda. "Someone like you, Dipper." She added, gently poking his chest.

Dipper looked down at where her sausage fingers had prod him. When he looked back up at the three his face was priceless. Dipper looked absolutely blown away by this information that he believed was true fact. The three girls were struggling to stop themselves from bursting out in laughter.

"Wait, are you joking?" Dipper finally asked after seeing their blowing up faces, breaking the silence. The three laughed out wildly, tears welling in their eyes and their fists slamming the wood, like a courthouse hammer. The same faces looked towards them again, but brushed it off all the same and just as quickly. No one was bothered by it.

"Of course we are." Panted Mabel. Dipper could be stupid at times and it was too funny when he was.

Dipper merely sighed, blushing, embarrassed, and averted his eyes away from the three stooges he currently regretted knowing and decided to survey the room for a distraction. He leaned on one arm, cupping his face in his hand so he couldn't even see them. His eyes scanned the room until they eventually found themselves upon a man in the far corner of the room in another booth, sipping his coffee from the white mugs the cafe gave out. His purple hoodie concealing his face. Dipper's ears began to drown out the sound of the others, who'd stopped laughing hysterically and had begun bantering among themselves (girl gossiping, a language no boy ever understood, even one as smart as him), whilst he used his brain to 100% focus on this stranger with his dark violet jeans, clean white trainers and fingerless gloves, also purple, in addition to the purple hoodie. He looked out of place in the cafe, his different colours drawing the eye, but why did Dipper feel like he was the only one who seemed to really notice him, enough to give him this much attention. The...'purple man' suddenly stopped moving and looked up from his table, his back erecting up until it was completely vertical against the red velvet cushion that acted as seats on the booths. He put his half full mug down on the plate it'd been delivered to him on and slowly turned his head towards Dipper. Dipper snapped back to reality when he realised the man was looking at him. He leant up and the two stared at each other awkwardly. The man shot his hand up, hesitated, and then waved to Dipper, who waved back in an identical manner, before the man resumed sipping his coffee, looking away. Dipper stared bewildered and confused.

"Dipper?" Asked Mabel.

Dipper darted his head to her. "Yeah?" He asked, acting casual.

"You okay? You blanked out for a second there." Mabel answered.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine I just...I'm fine." He said.

"What were you looking at?" Asked Candy, showing just as much concern for him as Mabel was. She leant to see what had so easily caught his attention.

"Nothing." Dipper quickly answered, waving it off. They were getting worked up over nothing. He didn't want them to worry about him when there was nothing wrong.

"Ooooookay." Responded Mabel for Candy, knowing damn well he was lying. All three of them had seen him staring deeply at that empty booth in the corner like a ghost was there. "Well we're going back to Candy's now so...yeah, you know." She then added, standing up. "I'll see you at home." She also then added, smiling sweetly. Dipper smiled back. He watched the three rise to their feet, grab their things then squeeze out the booth and towards the door, Grenda struggling the most with her jock like frame.

"Bye." They all said to him as they each passed by. Dipper said bye back.

When Dipper heard the door close, he quickly looked back towards the booth in the corner to find it empty. A small piece of paper was all that remained of the mysterious stranger. Dipper stood up and quickly scurried over to where he was sitting. There was something about that man that just didn't feel right. He felt like a detective picking up that piece of paper and examining it thoroughly...blank. It was blank. He scrunched it up in disappointment and threw in the bin by the booth. Dipper decided he too would leave. He returned to the booth, grabbed the plushie and paced out the cafe. The door slamming shut behind him.

Dipper hated it when the streets of Gravity Falls were empty, at any hour. He felt so insecure, a 12 year old boy walking down the street with a freakin teddy bear in his hands meant for kids. He wouldn't be surprised if a hooded assailant pounced out an alleyway and said to him whilst flipping out the blade of a Swiss Army knife. "Gimme your money kid, gimme your phone kid, gimme that bear kid, whoa, you're getting mugged kid, hey want some drugs kid, blah blah blah." Or, maybe, if he was lucky, some creepy old guy would step out with his glasses, big waist coat and fedora, his white windowless van parked on the curb with the promise of candy. Pheh! He was getting too into this. That kind of stuff never happened in these streets, those kinds of people didn't live in them. He was just paranoid, as usual, because of the man in the cafe. The guy was a creep, to some extent. The way he subtly waved at Dipper like he was his son or just someone he knew personally, but hesitated as he thought of everything regarding the situation in his head. The man's ruthless, logical, calculative mind frightened Dipper. He was probably grinning under that hood with his dying teeth, thinking of all the ways to kill him, kidnap him. Maybe he had a sick sex dungeon in the basement of his house with Dipper's name all over it with a 'Fifty Shades of Grey' book by the side or 'The Colour Purple', that'd seem most fitting. Who knows?!...Or, maybe, he was just a normal guy, living a seeminglessly normal life, who simply waved to a kid who was staring at him. His clothing was distracting compared to the rest of the cafe so he wasn't surprised to see Dipper's dreary gaze looking directly at him, like he was starstruck. Maybe he wasn't even a man? Could've just been Robbie trying out a new style? Or a woman with a flat chest? You never know. But, despite all that, he still terrified Dipper. The man was unnerving to him, at least, but, biggest problem was, Dipper had no idea why the man was this unnerving to hi , and that was what was most confusing. Being scared of something that you don't understand, but don't know why you're scared of it. There was clearly something about him that a part of Dipper didn't like, but he just couldn't get his head around it.

Dipper let out a heavy sigh of frustration, his breath becoming mist in the cold night air. The sun had set pretty quickly since his departure and he was only about halfway home. He zipped his jacket up and put one hand in the pocket attached to it to keep warm, the other hand holding the stump of the plushie's arm that hang lifelessly by his legs, bouncing around as Dipper walked. He then burrowed his head into the collar of the black clothing until only the top half of his head was showing to further keep warm. He wasn't really sure if it was working, but he felt slightly warmer to say the least. But it was still so damn cold. This wasn't what Summer was supposed to be like, even if it was late into the season and nearing Fall. It was supposed to be warm; period. Dipper brushed it off as nature acting up again. He tried to keep all the supernatural and unearthly hypotheses and theories out his head as to why it was so cold, but it was pointless. His mind instantly ran off into those reaches as his deepest questions and thoughts came rushing out, like bolts of lightning. Maybe there's an ice demon following him? Maybe he was cursed? Maybe he was in some sort of limbo state? Euh, the possibilities were endless. He bounded up and down excitingly, like a bunny at the thoughts he currently had with a big grin on his face. So many different ideas rushing through him filled him with glee.

"_**Maybe you're dreaming**_?" Asked a bellowingly, deep and robotic voice from the alleyway next to him.

"YEA-" Began Dipper in approval before he suddenly came to a halt and froze. He looked into the alleyway to be greeted by nothingness. Dipper cocked his head in confusion before looking away from the alley. He began knocking his knuckles on his head, getting his head straight. He shook it about slightly as he tried to get a grip on reality. He was hearing things now because he'd let the violently imaginative part of his mind out for only a few seconds and now it was taking it's negative toll on his psychi. After finally getting it out his head, he resumed walking. He walked with normal thoughts, but squinted when he heard an ear rapeing sound screech from the same alleyway, now only just a few feet behind him. He squinted and tensed up at the horrible sound. It sounded like something mechanically ancient was being moved for it's first time in years. It sounded so...crusty, if that counted as a comparisant. It dreaded on for over a minute before it finally stopped. Dipper slowly loosened himself and even more slowly turned around, the sound of his shoes hitting the pavement seemed to echo throughout the empty street. He slowly walked back to the alleyway and leant his head in to see...nothing. Once again there was nothing but shadow. Dipper shrugged and made his way to resume his walking, but screamed a girly scream when the bulb in the lamp post next to him suddenly burst. He put his hand to his chest as his back fell against the wall. He slowly breathed with wide eyes, looking down at the small collection of glass by his feet. He closed his eyes and breathed out in relief, relieved that it was just a blown bulb and nothing more. It was nothing more! He then disapprovingly muttered to himself. He was not having a very good day today, or maybe he was just going insane? Mindless, he slowly pushed himself off the wall and kept walking, at a much faster pace so he could get home as quickly as possible. He didn't even notice that he'd dropped the plushie when the bulb burst, which meant he didn't see an arm shoot out the dark folds of the alleyway, cling it's fingers around it, like a skill crane collecting a prize (how ironic) and drag it back in, moving too quickly to make out any details and being too quiet to make any noise. A low, but quiet growl was heard as the creature of the dark began tearing the thing to shreds with the utmost of anger. Yes. It was probably a good thing Dipper hadn't seen that. Wasn't it?

On the journey home, Dipper had taken a brief stop to look at the pizzeria. It looked very welcoming for the young children, but not for someone of his age. It was a blank space in his head as to why the three girls were fascinated by the stupid baby building for babies. Yet they'd had fun in it's accursed insides with the screaming parasitic children running around, like headless chickens, slipping and sliding on the cardboard pizza they called food that'd been so carelessly splattered on the floor. It probably reeked in there of pizzeria like smells. Chuck E Cheeses back in California was bad enough, now fate had given Freddy Fazbear's Pizza to Gravity Falls. Dipper was tempted to gag at the sight. He mentally spat on it before resuming walking.

"Oh, there he goes." Commented The Marionette, watching from the window as the twelve year old boy walked off. "Walking fast." He added. "Hmmmmm. Making my way downtown. Walkin fast. Thinking back. And I'm home bound." He then began slowly singing to himself, watching the boy until he left his vision. He was alone and talked very quietly, yet still acted like an utter creep, watching a kid. The Marionette smiled to himself. "Goldie's gonna get you, little boy." He whispered to himself, closing the curtain he peered out of.

When Dipper finally closed the Mystery Shack door behind him after a long and tiring walk home, the first thing he did was throw his jacket, shoes and hat off to let off heat. The Mystery Shack was far hotter than outside. He'd already begun sweating so perfusly.

"I'M HOME!" He shouted, his voice cracking.

No answer. Dipper looked surprised by this.

"GRUNKLE STAN?!" He questioningly called. His Grunkle was either asleep or he'd gone out. Dipper swung out his flip phone to check for any new messages. None. Dipper furrowed his brow. Maybe he really was going insane? He shoved the phone back in his pocket.

He made his way about the building, picking up his jacket, shoes and hat first to put them in the attic bedroom when he got up there. His socks hitting the creaky wood seemed to be the only sound other than his own breathing.

"IS ANYONE HERE?!" He asked, walking up the stairs that led to the second floor.

No answer. Not even a squeal from Waddles. Dipper accepted the silence and just continued climbing up until he reached the attic bedroom door which he quickly opened, threw the clothes in his hands on the floor and then sat on his bed. He checked the digital watch on his wrist to see it'd only just gone 7. He sighed once more, tired, and closed his eyes. Like outside, his mind began to drift as to why it was so hot up here. It was probably the air conditioning, but he couldn't help it. Finding explanations for things that didn't exist were in his DNA. Maybe there's a fire? Maybe global warming is finally happening? Maybe there's a lava golem was on the roof?!

"_**Or maybe you're still dreaming**_?" Said the same voice. Dipper smiled. He'd expected that. He looked to the corner of his room in fascination to see two soulless white dots looking back at him from the darkness. Dipper wasn't bothered. If anything, he was intrigued. Something was following and made him...happy. However, he was bothered when what was left of the plushie flew out and landed by his side, all of the pieces scattering themselves on his duvet. "_**They got my eyes wrong**_." Added the voice. Dipper looked down at the plushie remains to see the ceramic plastic black eyes staring back up at him in pure shock and horror, horrified that Dipper had dropped him and allowed this thing to tear him apart. Dipper felt sorry for the thing. He eventually looked back up at his companion. The shrouding shadow around it had faded, revealing what it truly was.

Dipper gulped.


	3. Hallucinations

They'd started as dreams in which the two would talk; they always took place in the attic bedroom at mid-night and usually lasted until 6:00am. Goldie would always have something to say, often starting most conversations; starting with just general banta, but after a while Goldie, eventually, began to explain himself to Dipper just when Dipper had begun to no longer fear him and maybe even begin to consider him as a friend. He said what he was, what his intentions were, why he was here etc. in such specific detail so he missed nothing out. The words that flowed out of his stiff mouth haunted Dipper... Then the nightmares started with each one ending with Goldie's head rushing Dipper like a video game jump scare causing him to startlingly wake up, sweating and with a racing heart at around 6:00am. The nightmares started small with Goldie being angry and saying mean things to him like a taunting bully, but then he started to physically touch Dipper harshly, then actually hurt him, but leaving no scars in the real world, then emotionally hurt him by impersonating people he knew, making him think he wasn't dreaming until he sucker punched him with the truth. Dipper believed every word he said and he made good reasons as to why he should believe him. He made Dipper begin to question those he knew as if Goldie's words were actually theirs... Then Goldie showed him the graphic, horrific and explicit content he himself created. He told Dipper that this is what would happen to those he cared about if he spilt the beans regarding Goldie's existence and his cause to literally anyone... Then the hallucinations started. Dipper had refused to sleep in fear of what Goldie would do so Goldie interacted with him during the day as a hallucination. He couldn't physically touch him, but he could do anything else he solemnly desired. Dipper now saw Goldie whenever he least expected it... How long had this been happening you ask?... Five. Nights.

Today would be the sixth day (Friday) this torture had been going on. Dipper hadn't got a wink of sleep for the past three days, but his physical appearance didn't show any defects other than faint bags under his eyes. People just brushed it off as him not sleeping as much as he used to because of school or something along those lines. However, his behaviour and personality had changed drastically and people had definitely noticed despite his best efforts to act normal. He was much more aggressive, easily startled, rarely blinked and lost his concentration and focus so easily, even when it came to Mabel. His sister wasn't the only one who was concerned about him. He would even scream out loud in public when there was nothing there to have caused him such fear. Of course, there were those who took advantage of this. School bullies called him a freak or made things worse whenever he got scared, but teachers or bigger, more powerful individuals or groups were always on hand to intervene and were there to comfort him, Pacifica being one of them (surprisingly)... it was 12:00pm when the nurse saw him. According to her, there was nothing wrong with him. He was just going through a phase which he said was true so people resumed their lives normally, but kept a close eye on him. They cared about him and wanted to make sure he was okay, but he was long gone from okay. The nurse did inform however that if he carried on this way then maybe he should see a doctor. "Or go to an asylum!" One jock of a boy had called from outside whose existence they all didn't even acknowledge in the slightest.

"_**They're moments away from discovering me, boy. If you slip up-**_" Goldie began when the two were alone in the boy's toilets. Dipper had gone there to wash his face to replenish himself only to see Goldie standing behind him in the mirror... actually standing for once. His ancient mechanical bones would obnoxiously creak in agony at even the slightest of movements (hence why he's probably always sitting) but it didn't seem to affect Goldie's overall physique too much. Dipper wondered if he felt old, but right now his mind was focused on other things.

"It might be easier if you left me alone!" Dipper interrupted, not looking away from the glass and putting his hat back on his head. "You want me to act calm and to find out what it is I've done to deserve you, but I can't with you constantly breathing down my neck! Sometimes literally." He added, angrily whispering and sorting out his fringe so his birthmark was hidden.

"_**Don't talk to me-**_" Goldie began again before Dipper punched the mirror, cracking it, and spinning round to face him.

"CAN YOU JUST FUCK OFF?!" He screamed. The two stared at each other before Dipper made his way to the door, but Goldie was there to block him. "Ha! What are you going to do, hit me?" He mockingly asked. Goldie responded by creating a carbon copy of Dipper in front of him. That was a first.

"_**There is one way I can do that**_." Goldie answered calmly. The other Dipper shot itself in the head with a revolver, the contents splattering on one of the other mirrors. Dipper yelped and bounded back. He'd begun to nervously shake. "_**That is the only way you'll ever get rid off me, boy. But something tells me that you won't do that so...stop being a little bitch and do as you're told or I'm going to start piling up the bodies, starting with your sister. Understand**_?." Goldie added, coming closer until Dipper was pinned flat against the wall.

'Mmm hmm." Dipper whimpered, shaking as if he was standing naked in a blizzard.

"Dipper?" Asked a voice, opening the door. Dipper startlingly looked towards him then did his best to act normal.

"Hey, Dib." Dipper greeted. Goldie and the gore had disappeared the second another voice was heard. "What's up?" He then asked, smiling casually as the bathroom door was closed behind his friend.

"What's up?" Dib repeated. "What's up is that my friend is acting like he's insane, looking up at something that isn't there, but is terrifying him. And for whatever reason he's punched a mirror and cut his fist!" Dipper looked down to indeed see that he had cut his fist. A few beads of blood dripped down onto his shoe. "Dipper, for God's sake, what is going on with you?! You've been like this almost all week and you're keeping us all in the dark. " Dipper could see past Dib's head-who'd gotten closer-to see Goldie standing behind him, almost right behind him. He dragged one of his fingers across his furry neck. It didn't take an idiot to realise what that meant. Dipper now had to tell more lies to keep another person he knew safe.

He took a while to come up with an answer. "Fine! You wanna know what's really going on?!..." Goldie stepped closer. "Yes! Okay, yes. I am seeing things okay." He stepped even closer, his mechanical paws ready to strangle the life out of Dib. "...someone gave me pills five days ago in a pharmacy to treat a headache...I thought he was someone experienced, but he wasn't...I was an idiot...I took them when I got home and it's doing things to me, but I got so addicted and now I can't stop taking them..." Dipper looked close to crying under all that anger whereas Dib was shocked by this information. "Happy?... Why don't you go shout that out on your blog or tell your alien boyfriend to write it on the moon, Dib! Let the whole town, the whole world know that little Dipper Pines has got addicted to drugs, go on! WHAT'S STOPPING YOU?!"

"Jesus Christ, Dipper!... It's been five days?" Dib asked. It wasn't that long, but for a 12 year old it was an eternity with a burden like that. Dipper frantically nodded.

"I... I don't know what to do. It just keeps getting worse and worse, but I can't stop. You're the first person I've told." Dipper cried, hugging him tightly, hiding his face. He looked up at Goldie in disgust who was slowly clapping as if to congratulate Dipper and pretending to wipe a tear out his eye at that beautiful speech. Dipper mouthed two single words to him, two very, very specific words. "You can't tell anyone, alright. Please, Dib, no one can know, especially not the police and for God's sake not Mabel!" Begged Dipper as he released his friend. "She's going through enough regarding our parents and if she finds out about this..." Dipper began to trail off.

"I won't." Dib promised with reassuring eyes. Then the school bell rang, startling Dipper further who screamed. Another student came in, saw the scene and just as quickly left. The two patiently waited for it to stop. "Come on. We're in the same science class anyway." He then added.

"I'll catch up." Dipper said. "I just need a minute."

"Oooookay...I'll see you there. We'll talk about this later, okay?" Dib instructed, patting his shoulder. Dipper nodded. He watched Dib quickly pace out the bathroom and off to class. He dreaded it when the door closed. Knowing Dib he'd probably run to fourth period so there was no hope of catching up.

"_**Impressive. Do you take Drama as a subject**_?" Goldie slyly commented. Dipper ignored him and walked out the room in fury only to have Goldie already be there waiting for him outside. The two walked down the empty hallway together. Dipper thanked his stars and gutters that no one was here. "_**There's no need to be rude**_."

"Shut up. You just made my friend think I'm a junkie so I don't need your crap right now." Dipper harshly remarked.

"_**I didn't do anything. That was all on you**_." Goldie comebacked.

"What was I supposed to say?! I can't tell the truth otherwise you'll go full wild animal mode-very fitting considering you're a bear-on who I told." Dipper argued.

"_**Oh yeah**_." Goldie agreed, smiling to himself. Dipper sighed and sped up. He moved too fast for Goldie's brittle legs to keep up.

Science class was a bore. The teacher was away so they had a substitute who was clearly not fond of the subject and who was of little to no help in the hour of making notes and answering questions the students were forced to do, but Dipper instead had used his paper to make notes to Goldie who stood behind him.

"Mr. Pines?" Asked the latino substitute, looking up from her book and peering down her glasses to Dipper's seat at the far back.

"Yes?" Dipper asked, meeting her gaze. He'd spoke too panickingly, but to the rest of the room it was nothing new.

"Do you have enough notes there?" She asked, taking notice of the mess of papers piled up on the corner of his desk. Dipper quickly nodded. "Okay." She said. Dipper looked back down at his paper to avoid the eyes of other students looking at him, this time he began answering one of the questions that befell him. Most of the papers weren't his own as he'd had balls of them thrown at his desk. They were either harsh comments or doodles; his favourite was a well drawn picture of him in the corner of the room crying with the word FREAK spelt across the top in black and multiple shadowy figures pointing and laughing at him... Such artistic work.

"_**Mean**_."Goldie had said. _I know_ was the note he'd received back.

"_**You spelt chromium wrong**_." Goldie commented on the answer Dipper had wrote. Dipper stopped writing and held his wrist with the other to calm it down. As a sick joke, Goldie had turned the ink he'd been writing into blood. Dipper didn't want to look up from his desk in fear of what he'd done to the rest of the room. He couldn't take much more of this.

Thankfully, after a stressful P.E lesson of football that Dipper didn't participate in because he had a sick note, the day was finally over. He'd deliberately avoided Dib for the rest of it and had literally ran home. He hadn't gone to his usual after-school activities or waited for Grunkle Stan to pick him up; he just ran home as fast as his little legs could carry. A whole Summer of running for his life away from monsters had done good to him, but there were still things he could never outrun. And this time he couldn't save his life. He'd be dead either way at the end of all of this.

He was home alone when he slammed the door shut behind him, angrily threw his backpack-that matched his hat-wherever and slid down the door. Coming home had been a blur, but now he had a short amount of time before anyone else would be back which meant he could do what he always wanted since this whole charade started. He could cry. He wailed uncontrollably into his forearms, curled into a ball. Of course he was there though as he was always fucking there. Dipper would speak to Bill tomorrow in an attempt to get rid of Goldie as nothing else would work. He'd been through every page of the journal, searched online, even destroyed and threw the plushie Candy gave him in the lake in an attempt to get rid off it, but nothing worked. He even fought back on occasion, but it probably did more harm to Dipper than Goldie's metallic structure.

"_**There's no need to cry**_." Goldie said reassuringly only making him cry harder. He hoped his wails would block out the soulless voice. "_**Stop. Please.**_" Goldie then added. The sound was now a pain to his ears. "_**Stop!**_" He didn't. "_**STOP CRYING**_!" He was only making things worse like he was an abusive dad to a crying baby.

"Go away...please, just go away." Dipper whined. Then the sound of the car pulling up in the driveway could be heard as Grunkle Stan and Mabel had arrived. The two heard them approaching the door. Dipper bolted upstairs and through Goldie in a golden light, who looked back at him, before the door opened. He wanted to be alone. But when Mabel opened the door to the attic bedroom after hearing his frantic dash around the house and found him hiding in the closet crying his eyes out he knew that he'd never be alone. She heavily questioned him. Dib had told her about the pills, but Dipper couldn't lie to her... He told her everything with Goldie watching... slack jawed.


	4. Removal

"Please tell me you can see him." Dipper said in the comfort of the black and white forest. It was just the three of them that had colour. He looked behind him to see Goldie still slumped in his unique position against a tree, acting oblivious to his surroundings... It was Saturday morning. Dipper had actually gone to sleep last night on Mabel's command without a dream or a nightmare, but Goldie was still there during the day. He didn't do anything anymore; he just sat there, staring at a blank space as if refusing to look at Dipper because he was disgusted by him. Most of his attention seemed to have rubbed off of Dipper and more onto Mabel as he was now mostly present when she was. Dipper feared he would kill her because of what he'd told her, but hadn't done so much as flick a hair on her head. Perhaps he was just waiting for the right moment. Dipper hated himself for telling her everything with him watching, but the way she comforted him was enough to make the deepest and darkest of secrets to come flowing out of anyone's mouth.

"Of course I can see him, Dipper." Bill answered with his arms crossed. "What is it?" He then asked, floating over to inspect the creature. He gently prodded the fur on it's cheek to receive not even the tiniest of reactions. At first he wondered if it was even alive, but he could hear it's electrical lungs raspily breathing as if it was tired.

"I don't know. That's kinda what I'm here for." Dipper answered sarcastically because Bill should know this, yet not getting any closer than he already was in fear of what Goldie could do. He didn't know if they could physically touch each other in this mindscape space so he kept his distance.

"Why me? You hate me don't you?" Bill asked, lifting one of the thing's arms up to have it's metal parts grind up as they were forced to move. "Last time we met I possessed your body, remember?" He then added. He was curious as to why Dipper had come here, but, mindless, this was a dire situation so he had to drop the insane act and be the normal, calm, kind Bill that Dipper would've never seen before. "Anyway..." He stopped to pull himself out of Goldie's droopy mouth. "I've got no idea what this thing is." He concluded.

"What?!" Dipper asked, shocked. How did Bill not know what this thing was. He was supposed to know everything...right?

"Specifically." Bill corrected before the boy went on. "It's a kind of demon, like me, but doesn't need to be summoned. It's independent, Dipper, but...something found you for it and gave it access to your mind. I'll need to question it." He lectured, pretending to scratch a beard that wasn't there.

"Wait, so it's not alone?" Dipper asked. Bill nodded, bending his top half of his triangle form to act as a neck.

"And...you're not gonna like this, but I'm not sure if I can actually get rid of it." Bill then added, squinting his eye.

"You gotta be kidding. Bill I don't know what else I'm supposed to do! I am desperate, okay! I can't live with this thing and it's only a matter of time before it actually kills someone or drives me insane!" Dipper ranted. If Bill couldn't help then maybe he actually would kill himself if it came down to it.

"You'd look good insane." Bill remarked, his eye changing to support the invisible smile he had across his face. Dipper's face made him shut up. "Well, Dipper...it isn't-"

"_**Can you not call me it**_?" Goldie asked. The two looked towards him alarmingly.

"Oh my God!... It talks?! And in a really, really scary voice." Bill said, fascinated by the discovery like Dipper was when he first saw Goldie.

"_**Yes, dream demon. I have the ability of speech**_." Goldie answered before Dipper did.

"That makes things easier." Bill said, almost relieved. "Why are you stalking Pine Tree?" He then asked, getting much closer to the thing whilst Dipper got a tad further away.

"_**He has done something to us and must be punished for it**_. _**He is unaware of what he has done, but I am here to remind him**_." Goldie answered. These were words Dipper had heard before. Except...

"Us?" Dipper asked, who'd sat down on a tree stump to watch the interrogation. He knew now that Goldie had allies, but hearing him admit it was weird. Goldie seemed to have spaced out on that one. Dipper could've sworn that Goldie told him everything as he'd used such detail before, but what did he know.

"Zip it." Bill instructed, pointing at him. "What has he done?" He then asked Goldie. He didn't need Dipper's interruptions right now. There were more pressing matters at hand.

"_**Absolutely nothing**_." Goldie answered.

"WAIT, WHAT?!" Dipper asked, standing up only to have his mouth disappear in a blue poof and to have his body encased in a blue aura, forcing him back down onto his seat. Bill extinguish his hand of blue fire and re-opened his ears.

"_**It's what he's going to do that he must be punished for**_." Goldie finished.

"And what is he going to do?" Bill asked. The muffles of Dipper's questions could still be heard in the background, but he ignored him.

"_**He's going to kill us all**_." Goldie answered... Then there was silence as the other two processed those words.

"Who's us?" Bill asked. All seriousness now.

"_**My family**_." Goldie answered. Once again, there was silence. Bill looked to Dipper to see him staring at Goldie with wide eyes. Bill returned his mouth, but he had nothing to say.

"So...he's going to kill your family, but you're here to stop him from doing that." Bill said, turning Goldie's words into one sentence. Goldie nodded, the vertebrates he could call a neck screamed in agony as he did so.

"I'm going to kill people?" Dipper weakly asked. This time Bill didn't stop him. Knowing something like that would obviously cause questions, but Bill still didn't get how he hadn't seen this thing coming. Goldie looked towards him and nodded. "Oh my God." He moaned, cupping his head in his hands. He was going to kill people. Kill. People!

"_**Not people, Dipper. But, yes, you will cause death to a few and you will do it deliberately**_." Goldie said, answering his question,

"Why didn't you tell me? And why did you have to torture me?!" Dipper questioned.

"Torture?" Bill asked. If anyone so much as touched a hair on that boy's head, that wasn't him, he would...do something.

"_**I did all those things to ensure that the events meant to be would hopefully change, but since you told your sister I have no reason to keep secrets anymore.**_" Goldie answered, ignoring Bill.

"Wait, Dipper, he tortured you?" Bill asked hoping he would shine light on his darkened questions. Dipper looked to him and nodded. "Okay." He said calmly, tempted to rip the ragged yellow mess next to him into shreds, but he held back.

"What are you gonna do now?" Dipper asked. If Goldie had still told the truth about everything else then Mabel was still at risk. And so was he still.

"_**Nothing. I'll probably leave your mind and never come back. I failed my job, failed my mission, failed to change fate, so I'll go home now and leave you to your life**_. _**You will still kill my family and there's now nothing I can do to change that... Goodbye, Dipper**_." Goldie answered. Then he was gone before anything else was said.

"Well I guess that's it." Bill said, clasping his hands together. "You're welcome... I guess. See you later, Pine Tree." Then Dipper opened his eyes. He was still leaning by the side of the summoning circle, his journal layed out in front of him to the correct page. He didn't move... What just happened?


	5. Elsewhere

Saturday: Peaceful, calm, normal. The town seemed to buzz with it's daily dose of life as the sun gleamed down on it all, never obstructed by the clear, aqua blue sky.

A single figure was most certainly enjoying himself in the Gravity Falls park in the bliss weather, sat on that clean wooden bench under the lonely oak tree. His short black hair occasionally protruded from the darkness his purple hoodie gave off which he corrected by stuffing it back in; the hoodie also concealing his handsome face with square glasses glinting in the sun and a massive pink scar dragged across it from where he'd been assaulted all those years ago in addition to just his singed locks. His gaze over the children playing on the swings and slides was interrupted when a woman suddenly sat down by him having seeminglessly appeared from his blind spot. She could've jumped him, but had chosen not to. Smart move.

"Good afternoon, sunshine and rainbows." He greeted in his normal of average sounding voice. He didn't look at her as she did with him. She was just as incognito as him with her dark green shorts of medium length, trainers, coat, sunglasses and a blanket like piece of clothing, like what pirates wore or old people, on most of her head except her face, hiding her soft caramel hair. All of this to cover herself up, just as he did, as she didn't want anyone to know who she was as they would arouse suspicion as to why Mrs. Northwest would come here, a place like this, alone , and speak to someone like him. And why?

However, Mrs. Northwest didn't acknowledge his greeting. She just reached into the folds of her coat and produced a small stack of money tied together with a white rubber band. "Thirty thousand, just like you asked for." She said as she handed it over to him. He was slow to reach over, grab it, and forcefully tuck it into his pocket.

"I'm honestly shocked that your daughter is worth so little to you." He said, even though that was the amount he'd asked for. He'd count the money when he got home and then decide on his next move. "I'm even more shocked that you actually showed up; I mean...you don't exactly love her do you?" He asked, looking towards her.

"What?" She asked back to him, taken back by his question. The two met each others gazes for the first time. It made her feel very uneasy. She hoped he didn't see it under the black glasses.

"I know everything, Linda. How you treat her? How you act around her? How you care for her? How you even think of her? I probably know more about your relationship with your daughter more than you do..." He said, getting more and more uncomfortably close before snapping back to his original position. He looked back towards the playground and resumed in chewing the gum in his mouth. "And it only took me a day." He finished.

"Is she alive?" She asked him. She watched a pink bubble inflate from his mouth and pop before he slowly nodded.

"That much I can tell you." He then said, leaning his arms back until his elbows rested on the peak of the bench's spine. He leant back, relaxing as if on a deck chair at the beach.

"Is she hurt?" She then asked. She spoke very calmly as if nothing was wrong. She did care so deeply about Pacifica, unlike Preston, but refused to show her feelings to the sick creep that'd kidnapped her and held her for ransom money. It was just her and him that knew about this little charade and the purple man wanted to keep it that way until further notice. She too then started staring towards the playground to see why he was so interested in it and she only saw children. What in God's name was wrong with this man?

"Oh yeah. She's hurt." He answered, treating it like a joke. Her face quickly filled with dread. And he noticed it in the corner of his eye. "What? You waited too long before answering the phone even though I used her's... Bad Linda." He ushered, shaking one of his fingers from side to side and tutting.

"What have you done to her?!" She asked assertively.

"Uhbupbup." He said, raising a hand up to silence her. "You wouldn't want to make a scene now, would you? Especially with children around. Because we both know what would happen if someone else found out about all of this, don't we." He explained, the shining white of his teeth snuck through the darkness he himself had created. He was smiling at her though not looking at her. Or he was smiling at the surplus of children/future victims that befell him.

"Yeah, I know." Linda weakly said, nodding to herself. She didn't need reminding of the lovely little talk they'd had over the phone last night.

"Good." He approved, slowly rising to his feet. He looked down at her one last time. "I'll keep in touch, Linda." He added. Then he reached into his back pocket and produced a tiny box, beautifully wrapped with a bow and everything. "This is for you." And with that he ever so graciously leant in and plopped it on her lap before spinning round and making his departure.

Linda waited patiently for him to leave, watching him until he was no longer in her vision, before looking down at the blue piece of cardboard sitting there on her crotch.

"_I've got a lot of money in my back pocket._"

"_What does that mean?_"

"_I have your daughter, Linda. That's what it means._"

Linda grabbed the box with a shaky hand and gently handled it as if it was a baby. She eventually got the guts to pull the red thread, dismissing the ribbon causing it to drop to the ground like flowing blood, and flicked off the lid, it landing on the floor joining a sprawl of red fabric. Inside was a neatly folded, plastic like paper which she unfolded and came close to tears when she saw the picture in her hand. She put a hand up to and over her mouth to stop herself from screaming or hyperventilating... She could see Pacifica's head, neck up, a blindfold over her eyes, a gag on her mouth and serious cuts and bruises all over her once pretty face. She begun shaking like a nervous wreck at the fear in her daughter's face. However, it was what was written on the back that haunted her. She did eventually turn it over to see the note.

_Burn me, quickly... Before I burn her. ;)_

_-Mr P._


	6. Meanwhile

Elsewhere, as Mrs. Northwest began to heavily grief over the fate of her only child behind the locked doors of her/her husband's bedroom, an oblivious Dipper and Mabel were "enjoying" their Saturday like the other majority of the town.

The two didn't really have an agenda, as of yet, but there were a few places they could spend their time on before the light died and the bliss night took over. It'd only just gone 2:00pm, but the time of year set the sun to sleep early.

"Diner?" Mabel suggested as the two calmly strolled down the street, past the dentist. She was naming off locations in her head that the two could go to instead of walking. It was a tiresome and dull activity: walking.

"No." Dipper answered; his answer/the only word(s) he'd said to her at all so far since the two had left the Mystery Shack.

"Arcade?"

"No."

"Mall?"

"No."

"Friends?"

"Nu-uh."

"Pizzeria?"

"... Nope."

"Oh my god, you're so boring!" She complained, running out of places. "What is it you want to do then?"

"I just wanna walk." He calmly answered. That was all he wanted to do. Maybe sit down on a bench in a park on a hill or something and just watch the sunset when it finally came. Dipper just wanted peace.

"Eugh! Then why am I here?" She questioned. She didn't wanna walk; she wanted to do something today, but old Mr. Dull Downer to her side had other ideas. "And you could've told me that before we left instead of making my feet ache." She then added.

Dipper merely shrugged. He didn't really know why Mabel was here. And they'd only been walking for 5 minutes unless his sister was just that unfit.

"Fine." She said, defeated. She reached into her sweater pocket and produced the little pink flip phone she'd reasonably become addicted to, hoping one of her saved contacts would be able to kill her boredom as her brother had become unsatisfying. True, he'd been through a lot and she was happy that he'd recovered so quickly, but she had very specific needs and walking and talking and sniffing in the air wasn't enough for her today, even with Dipper... And being on her period probably wasn't helping either especially with her mood swings and sudden outbursts of anger. She just wanted to do something that she wanted to do.

Dipper smiled to himself. Her behaviour seemed to amuse him. He seemed...happy...that she was distressed. A bizarre feeling. He looked towards his sister carefully. Her furrowed brow stared at the screen in front of her, muttering the names off the list as she scrolled down. That was when he realised that she wasn't looking where she was going, but hadn't walked into anyone or anything...because there was nothing to walk into. It was just the two of them on the street... And he did a pathetic job at being her. "Have you noticed there's no one here?" He kindly asked, still smiling and putting his hands behind his back like a posh butler.

"_**No, there isn't.**_" She answered in a voice that wasn't her own. She still didn't look away from the screen or change in any other way.

Dipper hummed in approval. "What do you want?" He asked, still smiling. He wasn't bothered by Goldie anymore as he knew he was protected from him. "You said you'd leave me and everyone I know alone, so why are you still here?"

"_**I need to warn you, Dipper**_. _**My associates are coming for you and I just want you to be ready.**_" He answered, still staring at the screen.

"Is that it?" He asked, wanting to clarify that no hallucinations or gruesome acts were about to take hold or ever happen again... His answer was Mabel grunting when she walked straight into the bouncer of the Gravity Falls's bar who'd appeared from thin air. His dark skinned dome of a head slowly averted it's gaze down to her. His disapproving crossed arms and dead, but wide eyes scared her until she turned deathly white.

"Uh...sorry." She squeaked, looking up at his hulk like frame and being reminded how easily he could grind her into dust with his pinky finger alone. He just stood there like a statue, staring. God she wished Dipper was here to have diverted her out the way or talk to the bouncer, but he was still at home sleeping; had literally just woken up.

The bouncer opened his mouth to speak.

And when he was done, the little picture of Pacifica finished burning away in the fire of the lighter. Mrs. Northwest didn't smoke, neither of the Northwest parents did, but it was a handy thing to have around. And when it was finished burning, she blew her nose in the last tissue of the tissue box and used the parts that weren't covered in snot to finish wiping her eyes, mascara being smeared along with it. Mrs. Northwest went into the ensuite bathroom to clear her face thoroughly before re-applying her makeup at her nightstand. She had to look her best for tonight as there was a party tonight as the Civic Centre. Someone had gone out and rented the place for a night. Who wouldn't? It was a very fancy and well constructed house.

"Honey?" Asked Preston, opening the door to the bedroom, but not entering it. She'd been in there a good few hours so maybe she needed space.

She looked towards him startlingly. "Yes?" She responded. Act as if nothing is wrong and she'll be fine, everything would. It'd worked before like when she had to tell Preston that she was pregnant or how to tell a baby girl that her cat had died-inconspicuously so that the 2 year old would understand her motherly words. She acted calm about when underneath she was dying.

"You haven't seen Pacifica have you?" He asked. He looked somewhat concerned, but knowing him he probably didn't give a crap about her. He probably didn't give one about her either, but who honestly cared.

"No. Why?" She asked, adding a soft smile, hoping it would just get rid of everything... It didn't.

"Well...the party's in a few hours." He answered, checking his watch. She only just noticed his casual clothing: white shorts and a hawaiian t-shirt whereas she was still wearing the same thing from earlier. He was even covered in sweat from playing tennis with a close friend of his. What had she done today?. "And I haven't seen her all day." He added, re-catching her attention.

"Maybe she's with a friend?" She suggested. It was a possibility he'd believe and wouldn't question, but it was far from the truth.

"Nope. I've called her and all her friends. No one's seen her at all."

"Uh..." She struggled to find an answer. Why was being so questionable. Since when did he care about Pacifica?! "Unless she's with a boy?" Preston's eyes slowly widened at the thought. He suddenly looked away from his wife and scratched his chin profusely; his mouth muttered to itself as he begun talking to himself.

"Who's that boy who got rid of the ghost?" He asked towards her. He was also the boy who'd changed the Northwest family for the better, changed him for the better, but he kept that statistic to himself. No one needed to know.

"Dipper." She answered. Oh God. What was he going to do?

"Ok." He quietly said with half open eyes and nodding. Then he left her to whatever she was doing. She finished applying her makeup before being consumed by dread and worry once more, silently crying again on the bed and screaming into the pillows.

Then her cell phone rang... She could only imagine who it was


	7. The party

"Hello, welcome." The man at the door said to every single person as they passed him and walked through the Civic Centre's wide open double doors, most saying 'hello' back or 'thank you' in which he'd say "you're welcome" in that smug voice of his. Even from a distance, he could see every face, every detail, every person and even hear every word muttered under their breath concealed by the onyx black 5:00pm sky; it even slightly shrouded his own handsome face with his glasses and just as black hair. "Ah, The Northwests." He beamed when he saw them, shaking Preston's hand against his will. "I am so glad you could make it." He added as more well dressed citizens walked past him and inside. He slowly released his firm grip around Preston's hand, allowing his own to hover around it before swiftly cupping them behind his back.

"Wouldn't miss it." Preston replied, smiling. Then he leant in closer to whisper in his ear, grasping his shoulder. "Just keep the music going." He added, tucking a white envelope in the man's back pocket.

"Of...course." The man said nodding. Then Preston walked in. "Madam." He ushered, smiling, as Linda walked past. She didn't even acknowledge his existence. He could see the utter depression painted on her face... He didn't need to imagine what was bothering her. He hadn't seen their pet daughter walk in with them.

The man waited for no one else to be visible before he fumblingly produced the envelope. It was surprisingly paper thin and once it was rationally opened it revealed a check for $1 million. The man smiled and fully relaxed, relieved, and planted it over his chest. "Oh Preston." The man happily moaned as if...disappointed...by his substantial amount of money. "I don't take checks." He giddily said, ripping the thing into tiny pieces and throwing them up; watching them float down onto the ground like snow and walking inside to the party he'd set up. He was surprised the building had cost so little to rent out, but the manager didn't seem to mind now that he lay dead at the bottom of the Gravity Falls lake with his throat slit.

"So how was getting into serious trouble at the bar?" Dipper asked his sister with a transparent wine glass of ruby red punch in his hand; the other resting on his hip. The two stood on the main floor of the building where other small clusters of people had gathered to chat. They looked smart with Dipper in his tux and Mabel in that same pink dress she'd wore at The Northwest Mansion party. The thing looked as fresh as ever minus the glue gun stuck to it.

"Eugh." Was the response he got from her as she rubbed her temples with her free hand whilst the other held a similar trinket as her brother. "Don't remind me." She added. She seemed stressed, but tired at the same time. Her voice was occasionally difficult to hear with "MØ-Waste Of Time" blasting out the speakers on the large DJ stand at the end of the room.

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad." He said, trying to make her feel better, but simultaneously mocking her. Like a nice and kind brother would do.

"Dipper, I shot someone in their special area with a grappling hook. He started bleeding heavily and an ambulance needed to be called then the police. So it was bad! I don't even think he can reproduce anymore and now Nate hates me for almost killing his dad!"

"Okay... So was it worse than the time you threw a disco ball grenade in the head teacher's office?" He asked, sipping his punch only to discretely spit it back in. "That's disgusting." In which his sister giggled. "I'm uh...gonna go...get rid of this." He said.

Mabel sighed. "I'm not going anywhere." She said, smiling. "Unless I see C and G." She then added, quickly looking around.

"Ok...I'll be back. You can answer that question." He motioned behind him before walking backwards then turning away and walking off.

"IT WAS FAR WORSE!" She called over to him causing him to smile to himself and half the room to look at her.

Instead of just 'disposing' of his drink (pouring it out outside in a bush and putting the glass back where the others were), Dipper also went into the bathroom to wash his face. It was a habit he'd grown into as it replenished him. He would also be lying if he said he didn't miss seeing Goldie slumped in the corner when he reopened his eyes... Dipper sighed. That gold and fascinating monstrosity had been the most intriguing creature he'd ever come across in Gravity Falls. He missed it.

"Hey." Greeted a man. Dipper yelped. He'd been so lost in thought that he was oblivious when a man had walked out a stall and joined his side.

"Hey." Dipper greeted back, turning his tap off.

"I didn't mean to scare you." The man said apologetically, turning his on to wash his dirty hands.

"It's fine." Dipper said.

"You know...you look different without that hat on." The man said. Dipper ceased all movement. He looked up at this man to see his smiling face. Other than a pair of glasses and singed black hair there was a very, very faint pink scar going across his face. "Then again...I look different without a purple hoodie on."

"You're the guy from the cafe?" Dipper asked. He'd wondered if he'd ever meet him and now he actually was. He was not what he expected.

"Bingo. And you are the kid who's kept this town safe from...stuff that doesn't exist."

"So you saw that paper?"

"Oh yeah. How they shot that image in that angle is beyond me?"

Dipper chuckled. "Sorry I...ya know, stared at you."

"It's fine. I'm used to it."

"Okay...well bye. Nice talk." Dipper began to exit the room.

"It's weird actually." The man began, stopping Dipper when he was about a foot from the door. Dipper looked at him once more to see him staring deeply into mirror with the water still running. He was smiling so creepily as if marvelling at his face. "Of all the people that showed up...Pacifica Northwest is not here." He looked down at Dipper.

"Is this your party?" Dipper asked. He didn't really wanna talk with him any longer. He was having second feelings about him. Why mention Pacifica? How is she relevant? Does he know what she and Dipper had?... And why wasn't she here?

"Mmm hmm."

"Well good luck with the rest of it."

"Don't leave. Stay and talk."

"No, I gotta get back."

"To who, your sister?"

Dipper nodded.

"She's a nice girl."

"What do you want?"

"I just wanna talk!"

"Well I don't! Now goodbye!"

"NO! WAIT!... Ok, I'm sorry. I can be a bit weird sometimes, but I'm horrible with first impressions. Please, let me start over." He squatted down to Dipper's height. "Hi, I'm Tyler. Nice to meet you." He offered a hand.

"Dipper." He gently shook it.

"Hello, Dipper."

"_**Get away from him**_."

Dipper looked past Tyler's shoulder to see you know who slumped in the corner.

"Something wrong?" Tyler asked, standing back up.

"No." Dipper answered, looking up at him, smiling. Tyler turned around to see what he was looking at to see nothing.

"_**He's a murderer Dipper! He kills children!**_"

"Okay then...you know Pacifica right?" Tyler asked. Dipper nodded only paying half attention. "Do you know why she's not with her parents because it's just...weird. I figured you might know as you two are close-" His words faded into nothingness as Dipper focused on the other resident of the room.

"_**RUN, DIPPER!**_"

"I'm sorry, but I've really gotta go." Dipper said backing up and opening the door after reaching for the handle.

"Oh...yeah, of course go...see ya." Tyler said in approval, waving. Then Dipper quickly got out... Then there was silence.

"_**You stay away from him**_. _**You stay far away from my boy.**_"

"Or what?" Tyler asked, turning around.

"_**I will break you so damn hard**_ _**if you so much as touch a hair on his head**_." Too late as he'd already shook his hand.

"That's ironic coming from the thing that made a week of his life utter torture." Tyler crossed his arms as if victorious.

_**"I did what was necessary; you do it for fun**_!"

"I do it because someone has to. They are an abomination to this Earth, rabid, wild, dangerous. And there's only one way to be rid of them."

"_**By killing them. That's the only way to get rid of a monster."**_

"Excactl-"

"_**Which is why I'm going to kill you**_. _**And I am going to enjoy it**_."

Tyler laughed. "Good luck... Adrian." Then he too calmly walked out of the bathroom to rejoin the party he'd spent good money on.

He saw Dipper calmly jog over to his sister who had two others with her. He could finally see her clearly. Mabel she was...beautiful. Her luscious brown hair, peachy face she just...wow. And that dress it was so...perfect for her.

Tyler swallowed down his drying throat. Screw Pacifica; he'd found new meat to prey on. His mind ran away with all the things he could do. And he wanted to do them all.


	8. Taking a turn for the worst

"Well...that was fun." Mabel solemnly said to the floor, near to tears, as she, Dipper, Candy and Grenda left the Civic Centre-all holding each other one way or another-to be embraced by the 11:00pm night sky. Grunkle Stan's car was visible on the curb in front where he waited for them. His face was relieved when he saw the kids were safe.

"Yeah...I...I guess it was." Agreed Dipper as the worryingly swarm of people leaving brushed past them with some carrying their kids and divebombing into cars. He did his best to stay calm during the party, and right now, despite the thought of a killer roaming the streets that had begun to prey on his sister. He could see Tyler gazing her down frequently, but ignored him. Well...he tried to. Then fate took a sick turn for the worst.

The four then walked in silence. What had happened inside was not to be discussed and didn't need to be discussed. They didn't want it to be discussed. When the four reached Grunkle Stan he embraced Dipper and Mabel tightly. They remained motionless.

"Your parents are over there." He whispered to Candy and Grenda, motioning his head to another set of cars. The two walked over to their designated guardians like drones to also be embraced. Other children also found their own guardians and hugged them just as tightly. "Are you two okay?" He then quickly asked his kids, releasing them, but holding their shoulders and with half of him switched from red to blue as the police car's lights shined on him. Dipper nodded whereas Mabel clutched her Grunkle tightly and begun to cry into his shoulder. Her crying seemed to bring back reality and brain function. Dipper joined the group hug as two stretchers were pulled out the building with a body hiding under each of the bloody white sheets over them. Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Derland followed with a man in between them-handcuffed. He saw the scene he'd created and smiled. It was just like '87, but far worse. The ambiance it gave off satisfied his craving hunger.

"Dipper." Said Tyler, seeing him down there, with that smug smile; his face and suit caked in the dry blood of Linda and Preston Northwest. Dipper slowly released his grip from his family and looked to the psychotic man. He seemed unaffected by what he'd done, but everyone was looking at him, looking at them. "How are you?" He then asked.

"Okay creep, stop scaring the kid." Blubs said commandingly, forcefully shoving him closer to the police cruiser.

"Oh come on, Darren, I just wanna talk." Said Tyler as he was pushed closer and closer towards the back door of the car that would lead to his demise. How he knew everyone's names was surprising.

"Let him." The faint voice of Dipper breathed out. Now everyone looked at him. Especially Mabel.

"What, Dipper?" She peeped to him.

"It's okay." Reassured Stan. Dipper ignored both of them. His full attention was focused on the sick freak that had just traumatised his friends and family with a gruesome scene; caused because of a check.

"Are you sure?" Asked Derland. Dipper nodded. Derland opened the door ready to stuff Tyler in and readied his gun, as did his partner, in case he tried anything.

"Oh he's a nice kid." Tyler said, taking a step closer to him. The Police walked with him whilst everyone just stared.

"Why?" Dipper asked up at him.

"They were-" Tyler began.

"Not that. Why her?"

Tyler looked towards the petrified Mabel wrapped around Stan-who had the face of rage. "It's fun." He answered, smiling. Dipper just didn't even care. Smiling was a common thing that he'd gotten used to. "Now I have a question for you." Tyler said, nodding his head to him. Dipper was listening. "Have...you...seen him yet?... The tall one?... The puppet?" Tyler bent down on his knees to face the boy and to make sure no one else would hear their next words.

"No." Dipper answered. He knew who he was referring to. Goldie had informed him about his 'associates'. He'd been informed about all of them.

"When you do:" Tyler began, whispering. "Don't listen to a word he says. Everything he tells you will be a lie and he will kill you in an instant when he gets the chance... He'll also ask for your help, but give him nothing... I'm sorry it had to be like this, but this was the only way to get his attention to you. Just...be ready Dipper... And if you ever get the chance... Burn that pizzaria to ash." Then he stood back up and allowed the police to stuff him into the car. They then joined it and drove away whilst the ambulance went off in the other direction.

About 4 minutes later they burst down the door to his house with a S.W.A.T team. They searched it far and wide until one found the basement where a little Pacifica in a nightgown sat waiting. She was strapped to a wooden chair in the centre of the dark room with a gag, cuts, scratches, gashes, stab wounds, burn wounds, electrocution wounds, a shattered kneecap from a pipe wrench, other broken bones, missing teeth, was barely conscious from all the water boarding and with a blindfold. When she heard the single officer walk down the stairs to her she started wailing. She couldn't see him, but assumed that her captor had come back. But when the blindfold and gag were removed she sank into joy. Then she was released from her prison and hugged the officer tightly, crying.

Of course they still had to tell her about her parents. The unlucky soul to do that wasn't ready for her reaction, but was glad that she still had servants and butlers to look after her and Stanford Pines had even offered to act as a secondary guardian should she need it. Really she just wanted Dipper's comfort. It was a thing he was good at.

By 2:00am the town was finally asleep. Mabel fell asleep in Dipper's arms. Tyler had tried to kill her in addition to The Northwests, but Manly Dan-who also slept surrounded by his children on the chair-had been there to intervene before The Police had to pull him away before he beat the man to death. Then there was Pacifica who'd cried herself to sleep.

Tomorrow was going to be hard, but school on Monday was going to be even worse.

However there were those unaffected by the news. There were those that didn't sleep. Those that didn't care or remorse when it came to humans.

"_**Sir**_?" Asked an inky black bunny as it seeminglessly materialised into thin air.

"Yes?" Asked Mari, tweaking the spare endoskeleton that was in his box.

"_**It's time**_."

Mari looked to him. His grin seemed to grow.

"_Finally_."


	9. Monday

The school bell rang signalling that it was now lunch time for the pupils; one only 45 minutes long.

"Remember, your homework is due tomorrow!" The Latino English teacher shouted above the pupil's banta as they-most-swarmed out the room quickly with a significant few emotionlessly droning out the class with empty eyes staring blankly at the floor either alone or with the so little friends they had in this harsh environment. Pacifica was one of them, alone, and was being the last one out the room. Mrs Gaela sat down on her chair behind her desk, the wood creaking under her heavy physique, and watched her go concerningly. The girl had gone from being the alpha wolf of the school to rock bottom ever since the death of her parents, but she was brave to come back into school so early. "Mrs. Northwest." She said just as she reached the door. Pacifica's hand hovered around the doorknob. "You know you can talk to me, right?" She added.

"I know. Thanks." She said, not turning to look at her. She opened the door and walked out to be reminded why she hated this God awful school. Everyone in the hallway seemed to stop what they were doing and look at her. She didn't need their sympathy or their pathetic excuse for comfort. The only people she needed where The Pines. Those two had lost their parents too so if anyone knew what she was going through in her head right now then it'd be them, but they weren't in the hallway with her right now as they weren't in the class she'd just had. Her minions weren't there either for the same reason, but they should've been outside waiting. Instead, she ignored the glances of fellow students as the door shut itself behind her and confidently walked down the hallway. They even moved out the way for her as she went. They did that anyway in fear she'd unleash that Pacifica charm, but things were different now. They moved out of sympathy not fear. She wondered how long it would last before things went back to normal; whatever normal was.

"There she is!" Said Michael as she walked by. He was a jock of a boy with a grey shirt and blue denim shorts, but, most importantly, her ex. He slicked his coarse black hair back in an attempt to impress her, but she ignored him and walked past. "Hey-hey-hey!" He said to her, turning to approach the back of her. He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around with her hair and plain green backpack spinning with her. Other students looked to him concerningly in case he went...far. "I was talking to you." He said. His voice sounded like he cared, but he really just wanted her back. No girl had ever broken up him before and it was a feeling he hated.

"Well, I'm not listening." She said back to him before turning to resume her stroll, but he just spun her around her again; this time holding both her shoulders.

"Let go." She said, shaking him off.

"What did I do?" He asked her.

"I don't have the time to answer your crap right now Michael so just leave me alone."

"Or what?... You gonna run home and cry to your mom if I don't." Pacifica was glad that that was all people knew. Not a single soul knew about her kidnapping and torture and, thankfully, her clothing covered up her body and a ton of makeup covered her face. She'd removed all traces of her injury, but it still hurt; like her aching knee for example.

She kicked him in his special area at what he'd said. He groaned and clutched it with one hand, but slapped her with the other causing a cut to obviously reopen. She yelped and put a hand up to her burning red cheek and trying to hold back tears and the blood. Everyone just stared. No one could stand up to Michael and live. Even if it was for her.

"Now you list-" He began before he screamed in pain and dropped to one knee. The other had been kicked hardly on the side by Dipper. "YOU LITTLE SHI-" He began, reaching for Dipper's neck, before Mabel brought a fire extinguisher down on the back of his head. He put a hand up to it as blood pooled out whilst he screamed in agony. He slowly climbed up to his feet, everyone backing off, and clenched his fists. He turned to face the two, but met a fist to the face as a taller student in a blue hoodie hit him. His nose broke upon impact. The student proceeded to pin him to the ground with a rugby tackle and beat his face repeatedly. He caused black eyes, cuts, bruises and the dislodgement of teeth from his big stupid mouth.

"HEY!" The voice of the dominant principal shouted with his tux and short brown hair from the end of the hall. He walked over to the brawl on the floor. The student got off Michael and stood up to attend the principal, dusting himself off. "You two: My office... Now." He said turning away with them slowly following behind; Michael trying to stop the blood waterfall from his nose. "Dress code." He then added, handing a note to Wendy. Her skirt was far too short and he was against tiny crop tops. She seemed taken back, but didn't mind. She just nodded in approval as the three turned down the hall and Mabel returned the slightly blood covered fire extinguisher back onto the stand.

About 3 minutes later, the three then sat in the far corner of the cafeteria. It seemed that the other students were acting as if nothing was afoot when they indulged into their cuisine, but underneath they wanted to worship them like Gods.

"Thanks guys." Pacifica said when they were fully seated. She had an ice pack on the side of her face and a tray of food in the other hand.

"Don't mention it." Said Mabel, smiling.

"Seriously, don't mention it. I get the feeling he's gonna kill us." Added Dipper.

"Well he'll kill you two, but I'm safe." Said Pacifica, smugly grinning. Might aswell be happy before depression kills you.

"Thanks. You are such a supportive friend." He said, slightly tilting his head. He was thinking a similar thing whilst Mabel just sat there sipping a milk carton like a good little girl.

"I like to think that I am." She said.

"Are you two gonna kiss?" Asked Mabel. They were getting awfully close to one another. The two merely looked to her with wild eyes, and blushing. "Are you gonna at least eat?" She then asked, pointing at their full trays, hoping she'd get an answer for that. They looked down at their food and nodded. "Okay then. Because otherwise I would." It was fascinating how Mabel could eat so much without gaining a gram of weight.

The three sat in silence after that, eating, until Candy and Grenda joined them.

"Hi." The two said in unison, waving, and joining them.

"Hey." They said back in unison except Dipper who had his mouth full of mashed potatoes. He just nodded.

"Oooooh, Candy. Do you have the maths homework?" Mabel asked. It was a paired assignment and choosing the smartest student in school as your partner was one of the best decisions Mabel had ever made. And...you know...they were friends and kind of had to be together.

"Yeah, it's in my locker." She answered.

"What's it doing in there? It's for next period. And I want quadruple check it...again."

Candy stared at her for a while, then sighed. "Ugh, okay I'll go get it."

"No, not now silly. Finish your food."

"I'll get it." Dipper said. The table looked to him. "I can." He added.

"Thanks, Dipper." Said Candy. She fumbled around in her pockets for the locker key until it was produced. "Red section, one-two-two."

"I know where your locker is, Candy." He said. Then he squeezed out past Pacifica, much to her disclosure, and went off. Her face went bright red.

"Get in there." Grenda said with narrow eyes.

"Shut up, Grenda!" She said back. She looked away from the table with sass and resumed eating. It was hard with one hand, but she managed. The others just snickered which only made her frown.

Dipper found her red locker with ease and with no confrontation. All the students must've been elsewhere as the hallway was empty when he jogged down it. He inserted the key into the Chinese themed metal and twisted it. There was a lot of papers in there, but a bunch of pictures as well including the first selfie she'd taken with him. He took it out and admired it, smiling to himself. Life was simpler back then. They were simpler back then. He'd be lying if he said that she didn't look adorable in it.

"Cute." A voice said. Dipper had never heard it before, but there was a lot of people he didn't know in this school.

"Uh...thanks." He said, putting the picture back. He didn't look at him as he didn't want to get distracted, but he would never find one specific assignment under the stack she had in her locker. Thankfully, his company was at hand to intervene. Two large black tooth picks for fingers reached past his head and plucked as single paper from the pile. They flicked it out so it'd be straight and showed to his face. Dipper slowly looked to his companion with weary eyes and lockjaw

"Is this it?" The white motionless ceramic face asked, pointing to the paper with it's other hand. Dipper slowly closed and locked the locker, making sure to retrieve the key, before backing up. "No?" It asked, confused, looking to the paper to check. "Well, it's got both their names on it." Dipper just kept backing up, not looking away from the giant stick figure slouching it's back down in a vertical position in front of him. It etched it's long arm around him and gently pushed him back into it's face. It rolled up the assignment and stuffed it into one of his pockets.

"Wha...what?" Dipper asked.

"... Ah, yes... Hi." It said, clasping it's hands together. Dipper just stared at the white specs it had for eyes. It offered a hand to him. "I'm the Marionette... Nice to meet you."


	10. The Marionette

"I can see you like the Chinese one." It said, tapping her locker reassuringly with it's hand, changing the subject from introduction to high school banta.

"What do you want?" Dipper slowly asked.

"I just want to talk." It answered. "Can't we talk?... Buddy." It added, lightly punching his shoulder like a jock would to a freshman. "Let's talk about girls-or boys. You're not ga-"

"What do you really want?" He asked, interrupting and rubbing his shoulder.

"Oh come on!" It said, beginning to float. "Why all these questions? I know you're paranoid, scared, concerned-and a lot smaller than I thought-but I'm not the bad guy. I just wanna talk. Let's talk, come on... Come on."

Dipper just backed up.

"Ugh, you don't make this easy do you." It said, disappointed and rubbing it's temples. "Well I guess it's my fault. I thought you'd be fascinated by me, but you have matured over time. As your kind always does."

Dipper didn't stop. The Marionette sighed.

"Pin him." He said to the floor.

"What?" Dipper asked. The answer he got was a blackish purple ink sprout up from the floor and slam him into the ground on his back. The substance was glitchy, but held him firmly. "Gah!" He shouted, squirming.

"_**It's funny when they try to free themselves**_." A voice added. Dipper could see a head looking at him. A dark violet bunny head with white eyes and whiter teeth was glaring down at him, sprouting out his prison like a plant. The substance took a physical form of a deep purple rabbit. It's form still glitched as if not belonging in this plain. Dipper wouldn't be surprised if it actually wasn't meant to be.

"I was hoping to avoid this."

Dipper looked up to see Mari peering down on him as his freaky companion did.

"You just wouldn't listen." His voice had turned soulless. All he had done was walk backwards! "Now here's what's going to happen." It slowly opened the locker door and reached in. "At midnight tonight, you are going to come to the pizzeria and meet me there. You will ignore everything you see and hear that isn't me." It pulled the little picture of Dipper and Candy out in between it's fingers and admired it as Dipper had done. "Or you won't. And I'll take your precious little Chiu." It ripped the picture in half, but held Candy tightly. "_And break her._" And with that it crumpled the small paper into a ball and gently threw it down towards his face. "Okay?" It asked kindly. Dipper nodded. "Oh, that's great. Now run along before your friends start questioning where you are."... Then they were gone and awoke gasping. He was staring at the interior of the locker.

"Thank you, Dipper." Said Candy when the paper was handed to her. They were no longer in the cafeteria, but now in the library seated around a table. He'd had difficulty finding them, but a fellow student pointed him in the right direction. "It wasn't too much trouble to find I hope?" She mockingly asked, smiling. Dipper shook his head and offered a fake satisfactional smile before he sat down in between Mabel and Pacifica. He just sat there calmly and peacefully as Mabel and Candy went over the answers together and Grenda and Pacifica talked about boys. His regular gaze never broke The Marionette watching him-observing, checking on him-from the other side of the room. It sat crossed legged on a table surrounded by children he'd never seen before, with glasses on it's face and being engulfed in a swimwear magazine that it seemed to be reading to them, but if frequently offered him glances.

"_**Meet Mari**_."

Dipper averted his attention across the table to see Goldie sitting there. He looked clean and his body didn't squeak when he moved. He too had glasses and was reading a book about bears.

"_**He's nice, per say**_." He said. He didn't mean that as the dull tone of voice he had gave that away hence 'per say'.

"Am I asleep?"

"_**No, you just look like you're staring into space. No one has noticed you**_." As if that was a good thing.

"You look different." Dipper cocked his head to survey his polished jasmine yellow fur. He'd definitely been done up.

"_**I am Mari's construct in his world. He is doing this to your mind and controls me.**_"

"What does he want?"

"_**I'm a hallucination; not a Wiki page**_." Goldie put his book down to look at him. He was surprised Dipper didn't look negative. Perhaps he was used to animatronic figures visiting him now.

"Is there anything you can tell me?"

"_**When you see BB can you push him over**_? _**It's funny watching him try to get up**_."

"Real advice?"... Who the hell was BB?

Goldie sighed. "_**He is not bluffing**_. _**If you don't show tonight then he will kill Candy in more horrific ways than I would. Just...do what he sais, don't ask questions, don't snoop and never go in his room or-**_."

"Dipper?" Asked Pacifica, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah?" He asked back normally. It was just her looking at him. "I'm fine I was just...thinking." He lied, looking back to the empty table across his vision.

"Okay." She said, turning back to resume her talk with Grenda whereas Dipper looked over to Candy. She was analysing the paper with a serious face which Mabel mimicked.

_Midnight_. He thought to himself. He wouldn't allow her to get hurt... He repeated that word over and over in his head for the rest of the day.


End file.
